Gas governor



July 1 1924.

F. P. SMITH GAS GOVERNOR Filed Jan. 31 1923 July 1 1924. 1,499,885

v F. P. SMITH @As GOVERNOR Filed Jan. :51. 1923 2 sheets-snee: 2

geen? @wf/7M Patented July l, 1924.

FRED P. SMITH, OF GLASSBORO', NEW JERSEY.

GAS GOVERNOR.

Application 1ed January 31, 1923. Serial No. 616,059.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED P. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Glassboro, in the county of Gloucester and :State of NewJersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in a Gas Governor, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a gas governor,and has for its object to improve the construction of devices of thischaracter whereby the valve will be accessible for cleaning and repairpurposes. y

Another object of the invention is to locate the valve on the outside ofthe governor body or casing and to enclose the saine within a removablecap the latter forming with the governor casing a chamber incommunication with the gas inlet and the diaphragm chamber.

Another object of the invention is to so arrange the valve that itsopeningmovement will be opposed to the direction of flow of the gas.

A further object of the' invention is to provide an improvedconstruction for the safety blow out.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a diaphragm leverof unique construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a valve structure havingnew and advantageous features.

Vit-h these ends in view, this invention consists in the details ofconstruction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and thenspecifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains, may understand how to make and use the same, I will describeits construction in detail, referring by numerals to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this application, in which Fig. 1 is avertical longitudinal sectional view of a gas governor embodying myimprovements portions of which have been left in elevation.

Fig. 2, is a section at the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, with the cap and fluidcontainer removed.

Fig. 3, is a section at the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, with the fluid containerremoved.

Fig. 4, is a bottom plan view of the gas governor with the cap removedon a slightly reduced scale.

Fig. 5, is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the diaphragmlever.

Fig. 6, is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the valve'and itsstem.

Fig. 7 ,fis an enlarged perspective View of the valve connecting bar.

In carrying out my invention as here embodied, 2 represents the gasgovernor body or casing including an enlargement forming a portion 4 ofthe diaphragm chamber communicating with the lever compartment 5 formedin the leg 6 which projects below and beyond one side of theenlargement, said leg having an externally threaded boss 7 intermediateits ends for the reception of the removable cap 8. The boss 7 is solocated that for all intents and purposes it produces an extension 9 ofthe leg 6 which extension is located outside of the boss and is enclosedby the cap 8 when the latter is in place.

Between the enlargement 3 and the boss 7 and preferably at the undersideof the leg 6 isformed an arm 10 in which is the gas inlet passagewayllhaving a channel 12 leading therefrom through the boss 7 to the exteriorof the governor housing or casing so as to form a communication betweenthe gas inlet 11 and the valve chamber 13 within the cap 8 while on theother side of the leg is formed another arm 14 having an outletpassageway 15 therethrough communicating `with the lever compartment andthrough the latter with the diaphragm chamber. These arms are adapted tobe connected in any suitable or well known manner with the servicepipes, the supply pipe being connected with the arm 10 and the dischargepipe being connected with the arm 14.

The extension portion 9 of the leg has a hole 16 therethrough to form acommunication between the valve chamber 13 and the lever chamber 5 andthis hole 16 is surrounded by a valve seat 17 with which coacts thevalve 18. The valve 18 comprises a head 19 in the underface of which isembedded a washer 20 preferably of compressible material for engagementwith the seat 17. The valve 18 is adjustably mounted upon a stem 21preferably by being threaded thereon while theV valve stem is bifurcatedso that parts thereof straddle one end of the valve' connecting bar v22and is pivQte. tosaid connecting bar by a pin 23 or its equivalent. Thespace between the bifurcated portions of the valve stem is of greaterwidth than the thickness of the connecting bar so as to permit of acertain amount or sidewise movement while the pivoting pin allows thevalve stem a certain amount of lateral movement in order that the valvemay adjust itself to its seat and in order to prevent the valve stemfrom swinging too far the upper end of the connecting bar is providedwith horns 23 which coact with the stem above its bifurcated end.

The lower end of the connecting bar carries a pin 24 projecting fromboth of its faces for registration with the horizontal slot 25 in thefree end of the diaphragm lever 26 when said connecting bar is insertedin the vertical slot 27 in said iree end of the diaphragm lever.

The diaphragm lever is mounted intermediate its ends upon a shaft 28 theends of which are socketed in screws 29 threaded through the walls ofthe governor body or casing while the opposite end of said diaphragmlever is pivoted as at 30 to the hanger 31 carried by the plate 32.Between the plate 32 and another larger one 33 which is attached to theplate 32 is mounted a diaphragm 34 the edges of which are held betweenthe enlargement 3 and the cover 35 by suitable fastening devices 36,here shown as bolts and nuts. The cover 35 forms another portion 37 ofthe diaphragm chamber and has a centrally located boss 38 into which isthreaded an adjusting screw 39 the inner end engaging one end of aspring 40 while the other end of said spring rests upon the plate 33 toprovide a certain amount of pressure upon the diaphragm in addition tothat su a olied by the weights and 33.

e cover 35 has a duct 41 to form a communication between that portion 37of the diaphragm chamber above the diaphragm and a hole 42 leading tothe waste chamber 43 from which leads a. waste outlet 44 tor connectionwith a suitable conduit such as a pipe which may lead to some distantpoint such as for instance outside of a building in which the governoris located.

ln a hole 45 between that portion of the diaphragm chamber below thediaphragm and the waste chamber 43 is located a tube 46 of any desirablelength and open at both ends said tube passing through and beyond thewaste chamber. Surrounding the outer end of this tube is a fluidcontainer or barrel 47 of greater diameter than the tube so as to form aspace thereabout and this fluid container or barrel is threaded into anopening 48 leading to the waste chamber 43. lf found desirable the fluidcontainer or barrel may have an outlet 49 normally closed by a plug 50.

, This Huid container is adapted to hold oil,

glycerine, mercury or other suitable substance so as to prevent leakageof gas through the waste pipe under ordinary conditions but will permitsaid gas to blow out through the waste outlet should the pressure withinthe governor become too great yand if by any chance the diaphragm shouldbecome impaired by any leakage of gas above said diaphragm such gas willpass through the duct 41 and hole 42 into the waste chamber 43 and thenout through the waste outlet 44.

F rom the foregoing description it will be seen that as the gas entersthe inlet 11 it will pass through the channel 12 into the valve chamber13 and then through the hole 16 into the lever chamber and the lowerportion of the diaphragm chamber'. The flow of this gas under highpressure into the valve chamber 13, to some extent, acts upon the valve18 and tends to force it toward its seat while that portion which hasente-red the lever diaphragm chambers will tend to raise the diaphragmagainst the action of the weighted plates l32 and 33 and the spring 40thereby gradually moving the valve4 toward its seat so as to regulatethe flow of gas into the diaphragm and lever chambers and thus governthe-pressure of the gas which may be drawn oli" through the dischargeoutlet 15. The amount of pressure may be regulated by changing thetension of the spring 40 through the medium of the adjusting screw 39and may also be further regulated by adjusting the valve 18 relative toits seat upon the valve stem 21.

ln some devices of this character it has always been very diliicult andimp actical and in most cases impossible to clean the valve should thesame become clogged with foreign matter often passing through theservice pipes and when the valve had to be repaired it was necessary toremove the governor and send it to the repair shop or factory. Thesedisadvantages are entirely overcome by the use of my invention for afterthe gas has been turned oit between the main and governor the cap 8 canbe readily removed to give access to the valve and its component partsthereby permitting the valve head to be removed and cleaned after whichit may be replaced or if damaged another may be readily substitutedtherefor.

Should it become necessary to remove the diaphragm lever, the valve stemor the connecting bar the cover 35 is removed and the socket screws 29backed out sufficiently to release the axle 28 atter which the diaphragmwith its weights and lever may be readily withdrawn and the withdrawingmovements will disengage the connecting bar and its pin 24 from thenotched end of the diaphragm lever when the valve with its componentparts will be free for withdrawal through the hole 16. After thenecessary repairs have been made the parts may be again assembled byreversing the operations above described.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details ofconstruction as herein shown as these may be varied within the limits ofthe appended claims Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and usefulis 1. A gas governor including a housing or casing having an inlet andoutlet, a removable cap on the housing constituting a valve enclosure, adiaphragm within the housing, a lever connected to the diaphragm, avalve located outside of the housing and within the cap so as to beaccessible upon removal of said cap and means connecting the valve andlever.

2. A gas governor comprising in combination, a housing having a valveseat on the exterior thereof, a valve coacting with said seat, meansactuated by the pressure of gas to operate said valve and removablemeans enclosing said valve and its seat.

3. In combination, a gas governor housing having a diaphragm chamber, alever compartment, an outlet leading from the lever compartment and ahole leading to said lever compartment from the exterior of the housing,a valve seat surrounding said hole, a cap detachably mounted on thehousing in the region of the valve seat to form a valve chamber, thehousing also having a gas inlet communicating with the valve chamber, adiaphragm .in the d1aphragm chamber, a lever having one end connected tosaid diaphragm, and a valve exteriorly located relative to the housingfor action with the valve seat and connected to the other end of thelever, said valve being readily accessible upon removal of the cap.

4. In combination, a gas governor housing having a diaphragm chamber, alever compartment, an outlet leading Jfrom the lever compartment and ahole leading to said lever compartment from the exterior of the housing,a valve seat surrounding said hole, a cap detachably' mounted on thehousing in the region of the valve seat to form a valve chamber, thehousing also having a gas inlet communicating with the valve chamber, adiaphragm in the diaphragm chamber, a lever having one end connected tosaid diaphragm, and a valve so located tha-t its opening movement isopposed to the flow of gas, said valve being connected to the oppositeend of the lever.

5. In a gas governor the combinatlon of havingat the other end two slotsat right p angles to each other, an axle on which the lever is mounted,socket screws in which the ends of the axle. are mounted, a connectingbar adapted to be inserted in one of the slots in the lever, a pincarried by the bar for insertion in the other slot, a valve stem pivotedto the connecting bar and a valve having threaded connection with thevalve stem for adjustment thereon. 6. In combination, a gas governorhousing including one portion of a diaphragm chamber, a levercompartment communicating therewith, an outlet leading from the levercompartment, a hole leading to said lever compartment from the exteriorof the housing, and a waste chamber, said waste chamber having a holeleading thereto from the. exterior, another hole forming a communicationbetween the aforementioned portion of the diaphragm chamber and thewaste chamber, an opening leading to the waste chamber concentric withsaid other hole, and a waste outlet, a cover having a recess to form thebalance of the waste chamber and further provided with a duct or by-passto form a communication between that portion of the diaphragm chamberwithin the cover and the first named hole, a tube open at both endsprojecting through the opening and mounted in said other hole, a Huidcontainer of greater diameter than the tube mounted in the opening andsurrounding the outer end of said tube, a diaphragm within the diaphragmchamber, weighted plates connected therewith, resilient meansforexerting pressure on said diaphragm, means for regulating the tensionof said resilient means, a lever pivoted within the lever compartmentand connected at one end with the diaphragm,k a connecting bar pivotedto the outer end of the lever and passing through the hole leading tothe lever compartment, a valve'stem pivoted tothe connecting bar, avalve adjustably mounted on said stem and located exteriorly of thehousing for controlling the flow of gas through the last mentioned hole,and a cap detachably mounted on the housing for enclosing said valve andforming a chamber which acts as a portion of the gas inlet, theJ balanceof said gas inlet being formed in the housing.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto ailixed my signature. f ,c

FRED P. SMITH.

